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Feature Request: Individual project Launch configuration file [message #1869315] Mon, 12 August 2024 04:54 Go to next message
Eclipse UserFriend
Preface:
This is a proposal to ease the use of Run/Debug launch configurations for complex projects.

Note: This has not been proof-checked with the latest stand-alone Eclipse, but based on my usage of several IDE's for embedded microcontrollers all based on Eclipse, such as Renesas E2Studio.

Background:
On complex embedded hardware, multiple microcontrollers are typically in use. Each of these are developed as independent projects with their own repositories. Each of them also uses multiple run/debug launch profiles, often with a lot of complex configuration for multiple targets, such as simulation, HiL and real hardware. 8-10 launch configurations per project are quite normal.

Current behaviour:
Run/Launch configurations from all currently open projects in a workspace are saved globally to one file, which can be placed one of two places:

  1. As a local file in the current workspace.
  2. As a "shared file", where all open projects use the same shared file somewhere in the filesystem.


Similar, run/debug configurations are loaded from those two locations for all projects.


Problem with the current run/debug launch configuration system:

  1. Launch configurations are complex to set up, and is in essence to be seen as source code. Yet it's not possible to easily ensure that the launch configuration for a specific project is saved next to the projects .project file.
  2. It's hard to share launch configurations for a single project.
  3. It's hard to commit launch configurations to a repository.
  4. In order to save launch configurations to a project folder, one need to use the export option, then manually select the, say 10 launch configurations out of 60, browse to the project in the filesystem, and save the file. This is very error prone.
  5. In order to import the exported launch configurations files, one first need to browse to the filesystem, then import. Import always imports everything, which means that if a single configuration has been added, but 9 remain the same, then after import you will have the new configuration, and 9 duplicated configurations with an added [x] counter, that you manually need to clean up.


Proposal

  1. Always save the run/debug launch configuration file for a given project next the the .project file in said project.
  2. Maintain the current options, but dynamically populate the global file from the launch files found in the projects that are currently opened in the current workspace.


Benefits

  1. Traceability: Debug/Run configurations belongs to a project, and can be committed together with the rest of the project code.
  2. Reduce clutter: Multiple projects can be in a workspace, and only the launch configurations for the open projects are actually shown in the list.
  3. Flexibility: If I add a new project to my workspace, I don't have to manually import the new projects launch configurations.
  4. Flexibility: If I close or remove a project from my workspace, I don't have to manually remove the unused launch configurations.


Postscript
I can't believe somebody didn't already think about this - but I couldn't find anything to suggest it's been proposed before.
Why isn't it already like this?
Are the plugins that changes the current behaviour?

Please chime in, and help improve this feature request.
Also how to make this this a proper feature request?

--
fsteff

Re: Feature Request: Individual project Launch configuration file [message #1869327 is a reply to message #1869315] Mon, 12 August 2024 10:13 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Eclipse UserFriend
You'd be better to open an issue here:

https://github.com/eclipse-platform/eclipse.platform

That being said, 1. is not the case. On the Common tab you can specify,Shared file and then choose where in the workspace to locate it. Then 2 and 3 are not a problem. And you don't need to use 4 nor 5.

This way projects do often ,and quite easily, store the launch configurations close to the applicable source. E.g.,

https://github.com/eclipse-oomph/oomph/blob/master/plugins/org.eclipse.oomph.setup/Setup%20(Installer%20Dialog).launch
Re: Feature Request: Individual project Launch configuration file [message #1869381 is a reply to message #1869327] Thu, 15 August 2024 02:43 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Eclipse UserFriend
Thank you for your reply, Ed.

And thank you for the link you provided.

I've spend the last days trying to understand your comment that problem 1 I described is not the case, so instead of solely testing with the Eclipse-based E2Studio, I also tried on a vanila Eclipse, and...

It turns out my statement was wrong. It is indeed possible to specify a "shared" location per configuration, so that they can be saved in the individual projects.

So my problem appeared to be specifically related to E2Studio from Renesas.
I will raise my concerns directly towards them, instead.

Again, thank you for your help.
Re: Feature Request: Individual project Launch configuration file [message #1869393 is a reply to message #1869381] Thu, 15 August 2024 05:21 Go to previous message
Eclipse UserFriend
I'm glad to be of help and I appreciate that you provide follow up details that might be helpful to the next person who encounters such an issue.
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